Stalker III
by mkusenagi2
Summary: Things happen... 5 is up. Rated M.
1. Chapter 1

Stalker III

By mkusenagi2

The story concept © 5-11-2006  
Kim Possible and other Disney characters  
are © Disney Co.  
Archie Goodwin's Stalker character  
concept isn't mine either.

'Breathe… ignore the voice… I have ten fingers, ten toes… stay in the center…Breathe…sit in the space…'

"Sir she's not responding… she's slid into catatonia." A voice said outside a sensory deprivation tank.

"Don't be fooled. She's in sull for now. Just like an opossum. Keep the feed going… I'll be back later. Don't let your guard down. ANY of you." An older voice said.

"Yes Sir." The techs cried.

---

He woke…

In a field…

Shocked by what he saw…

'It's time for you to help The World…' a voice said.

He closed his eyes… and felt a cleansing presence. A light appeared.

'Go. The Way is clear.'

He left.

---

Alamut.  
The Alborz Range  
in Iran.

The Old Man floated in the arena in meditation…

A white spark appeared…

"You must go. A way has been made. The Flower and a Brother needs your help." Allah decreed.

The Old Man landed quietly. "I Obey."

---

"Steve… calm down. You know I won't quit looking." Betty said while sitting at her desk.

"Damnit! This has to happen…" He frowned as he clutched his right pocket.

Betty rose from her seat. "I know." She squeezed his shoulder. "'Til further notice you're with us. Second to Shego 'til we find her." 'Who could have done this? Stalker's as tough as they come…WHY?'

"Thanks." He slumped in his seat.

"Big Step?" she asked.

He looked at Betty as he pulled out the velvet box. "The Biggest."

---

Shego rubbed her slightly plump belly… and looked at herself the umpteenth time in her full length… 'I can't believe this… He's a MANLY Man alright.' she grinned. 'At least Bonnie got to find out before…' Tears… 'DAMNIT STALKER! You're NOT supposed to get caught… or whatever's happened to you… I wish Ned was here, damned Nacho! You're supposed to be here… my husband.'

"Beep Beep BeDeep!" 'Whoda thought…' she frowned as she picked up her link. "Go ahead."

"Turn on the news. I'll wait." Kim said to Shego.

"I repeat… someone's just nuked The Hague… according to our sources no one's claimed responsibility…" Shego gaped in shock as the Blonde bombshell calmly read copy as videos were shown of the blast and devastation…

"This isn't a coincidence." Kim said to Shego.

"Really! Ya Think!" Shego carped. "Has anyone come forward?"

"No. The terrorists are running scared too! Where are you now?" Kim asked. "Ron and I can stop by and…"

"Knock, Knock!"

"Hold on, someone's at the door. I'm at home. I'm going full feed, just in case." Shego said as she tapped her link and walked to the front door from their bedroom.

"Gotcha. Ron's online too."

She opened the door and heard Kim gasp. 'Good. At least I know I'm not imagining things…'

"Hi." A rugged version of Ned asked. "Is Ned home? I'm his Dad." The ghost said. "Bruce Brown at your service. Oh, By The Way…Ned was Right. You do have a Killer Ass."

He had Ned's Grin.

Shego passed out.

---

She came to…

On the couch.

"Dude! I said it before and I'll say it again. D E A D. You. As In 'You're Dead.' HOW ARE YOU HERE?" Ron cried.

"Rooon." Kim said as she looked at Shego. "Shego. You know…"

"heh. Sorry Kim. How dude?"

"I was brought back…The W…" "Knock, Knock!"

Shego rolled up and strode to the door before anyone could stop her. "I've got it. Really!" 'This is WAY past Drakken Weird…'

She opened the door…

"It's that bad." She said to the person in the doorway.

"Yes. May I come in?" they asked.

She stepped aside and bowed to their newest guest.

Kim, Ron, Bruce looked up…

And beheld…

The Old Man Of The Mountain.

"I am sorry my friends. I wish I could have come to share in My Daughter's and Son-in-law's Joy…"

A storm formed in his face…

"But Allah's Flower is in Gravest Danger." He finished.

"No Shit." Betty Director said as she and The Hangman walked in and shut the door.

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

Stalker III

By mkusenagi2

The story concept © 5-11-2006  
Kim Possible and other Disney characters  
are © Disney Co.  
Archie Goodwin's Stalker character  
concept isn't mine either.

'The Gang's _almost_ all here…' Shego thought as they lounged in her Japanese/Tudor styled home. Shego smirked…

Ned had a fit when he saw the bill 'til she showed him her accounts. Then he was all for it when she'd told him that it wasn't a go without his input…

'Hmmm. Gonna have to do it. Welll… He'll get to use his new toy.' She tapped her link as she looked at her friends… "Hi Honey. I need you to come home… It's an emergency… Baby's fine… Just Get Here Hon… Love You Too. Bye."

The massed Spiritual, Covert, and Martial talent in the room was phenomenal…

'This is SO weird.' She thought as she centered on her Father-in-Law.

Betty tapped on a scrambler. "The guys responsible for this make the Cabal look like a bunch of palsied criminal defectives. THEY'RE the ones that took the villains Kim used to fight…"

"What!" Kim and Shego cried.

"And made it look like The Cabal did it using their resources. Also a project's come up… missing." Betty looked AT Hangman. "Handmaid. The store's vanished. DARPA's in a panic. So's the Pentagon."

He paled. "This IS a joke. right?"

"What's Handmaid?" Ron asked as he looked at Betty and Hangman.

"It's a… holdover from the Cold War… it's so secret few knew it existed. More people knew about Area 51 than HM…" Shego said. "I know about it 'cause they asked me to work for 'em… they let me live 'cause _he_ liked me…"

Ron's hair stood up. Shego was visibly paler…

"Who's _he_?" Kim asked.

"The Colonel." Hangman said. "He's a relic from those times too." He growled. "The 'man's _not_ human…" he shuddered. "Trust Me."

"He's right." Betty chimed in. "We know that he's been around a long time… he came to us with the idea and helped us set up shop. Handmaid is the blackest op there is. Somehow they've been able to get their hands on _any_ weapon or test data we needed to keep our edge sharp during the Cold War. Now someone's taken them out."

"You're saying they're like the GRU was in the old days." Kim replied.

"Very Good, Possible!" Hangman said. "You should have caught that Stoppable."

Ron looked at Hangman. "My talents lie in a different direction… Sir." He said as his eyes flashed Blue for a sec. "This is crazy… (pointing at Bruce) a man's back from the Dead… now you're telling me that this 'Colonel' guy's not human… what's the Story Mr. B? X files crap?" 'And they call ME crazy!'

"Do not doubt your inner heart my Son. This man (points at Bruce) has been blessed by Allah to help us in this Dark Time." The Old Man said.

"Sir, you said he's 'not human'?" Kim timidly asked.

"He's…" Hangman started. He paled.

"From what we know he's the result of a Soviet experiment in Psionics 'from the day'… it worked horribly well… they destroyed their records…" she tossed a module on the table. A Holo popped up; the image of a 6' 10" dark haired, raw-boned, Ukrainian man floated over Shego's table. "This is how he looked _then_ in the 60's… (the holo changed) and now."

He was the same.

Absolutely.

"He's disappeared." The Old Man said. Everyone looked at him with various states of surprise… except Bruce.

Kim looked at Betty. "Kidding right?"

Betty looked at Shego, then Kim and Ron. "We live in a world where Shego and her brothers exist, Ron has his powers, Area 51 and what it contains is real, and The Old Man has existed since the early days of Islam… Yet you deny the existence of someone like him …" she smiled.

Shego, and The Hangman smirked.

"Stoppable. I _saw_ him take a hit… a heart shot, and survive." He said.

Kim and Ron looked at each other as a chill passed through the room. "So whatever took him out…" they said.

"Or whatever's happened is bigger than anything we've faced before…" Betty said.

Ron frowned in thought. "What's 'the store'?"

Shego rose and poured everyone a stiff one. "Tequila's all we have…"

Betty nodded and sighed as Shego plunked a drink in her hand. "The Store's the arsenal of nukes they've stolen from every renegade power for at least the past five years so we could develop countermeasures… and other things… biologicals… 51-based weapons… the works…"

Even Shego stopped in her tracks…

"Fuck Me…" Kim gasped. "These weapons are…"

"Worse than anything Drakken has ever dreamed of." Betty said.

"Shit!" Ron said for them.

Through all this Bruce had been strangely silent, he'd been smiling.

"Ok. What's with the smile?" Shego carped.

"Nothing. Just glad to be here… Where I was isn't bad… It's just nice to be back." He looked at Shego. "I'm glad I finally got the chance to see you in the flesh. (Wink.) All I can tell ya about where I've been… is that you're _everywhere_, you hear _everything_… And What We Do Matters. There Is A Divine One."

"Riiiight!" Shego said. 'Damnit NED! I need you _here_… I can't deal with this 'One Step Beyond' crap for much longer…'

At that moment…

"SLAM! Is The Baby Fine? Are You Ok! Is Everyone Alright?" Ned yelled as he stormed in. "Sorry. Woulda Got Here Sooner, But The Prowler Got Jammed In Traff…!" His eyes focused on Bruce.

"Hi Son. Long Time No See." He said, smiling at Ned.

"Yaaah!"

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

Stalker III

By mkusenagi2  
The story concept © 5-11-2006  
Kim Possible and other Disney characters  
are © Disney Co.  
Archie Goodwin's Stalker character  
concept isn't mine either.

"YAAAAAAAsmeck." Ned was silenced by Sharon's light smack… "Mmmm…;D" and hard kiss.

"It's real Hon. We see it too." She whispered into his ear, hugging him tight as she drew his hand towards her swelling belly…

"Oh." He said as he stared at his Dad. He hugged her back, staring over her shoulder at a miracle… as he caressed another…

"No PDA…" The Hangman growled.

"My House. _My_ Rules." Sharon threw back. "Right. Sorry." he grunted to Kim and Ron's amazement… and amusement.

Bruce grinned. "Hiya Ned." He grew solemn… a bit. "I know it's lot to take in Son…"

"Wow." All eyes turned to Ron. "It's really happening then… The Time."

"Yes." The Old Man said. "The One you call the Colonel…"

Eyes slid to him. A man that was Aged yet Youthful…

"He is a Fallen. One of the formerly repentant ones. What you call _angels_." The Old Man said. "The Soviets found a vessel for him to inhabit. Now… he's turned onto the darkest path. I will say no more… for now."

Ned and Sharon pulled up chairs and sat… that is Ned gently sat her on the couch arm and set the furniture to everyone's amusement before he seated her.

Kim looked at her husband. "What do you mean it's 'The Time'?" she squeezed his hand.

"Rabbi K said that there's a prophecy in the Dead Sea scrolls that says 'The Time Will Come When The Sons of Light Shall Battle The Sons of Darkness…' or something like that Kim." He looked at Bruce… who gave them the slightest of nods.

"Oh." She looked at Barkin, dressed in black camo and paint. "Sir…"

"He _took_ her from me." He glared back, 'No one does that… without _paying_.'

"We'll get her back… I promise." She said with gritty conviction.

He nodded.

"Ok. Back to business." Betty. "I'm locked out of certain levels… due to 'The Cabal Affair' and… GJ's viewed as a UN sponsored agency… we need more data… Now that Wade's gone… and we've been compromised… We're going to have to find another resource…"

"You've got one…" Sharon purred as she gently rapped her fist on Ned's skull. "Right here."

"Uh… heh." He turned red. "I thought you'd keep my secret!" he stage whispered. "Times… things have changed… sorry Hon." She whispered back. "I'll make it up to you… that thing you like… me oiled down… in leather…"

"Hrmmm!" The Hangman growled. "Yeah, we're sitting here." Ron quipped.

"What's she talking about… Ned?" Betty asked, her eye a slit. "_Not_ the leather part."

"Ned's got access to all my active accounts in the Pentagon." Bruce said with a smile. "I handled 'logistics' alright… Air America flight plans… Firm Black Op troop movements… crap for The Colonel too. All sorts of things… The network still thinks I'm alive… under several of my field aliases… I created… at _least_ a thousand. Ya never know."

Betty grinned as she sized Ned up. "Ned. What do you know about The Colonel?"

He tensed… 'til he felt Sharon's hand caress the back of his neck. "Uh… He's former KGB… Name's Uri Andrei Rasputin… direct descendant of… _that_ Rasputin… Born 1925… mother unknown… a principled Party member… mentored by Andropov… Groomed by Gorbachev… all arrests he made were of men and women that had committed actual crimes… they said it was like he knew where, or when they'd be most vulnerable… extremely tough… fierce fighter… cross-trained with Spetsnaz for 'fun'… (Kim, Ron, and The Hangman blanched.) 'selected' for an experiment by the KGB's psychotronics division… they were trying to artificially enhance a soldier's psychic potential… using whatever means… he killed most of the lab personnel and escaped…" Bruce smiled, Kim and Ron mentally gasped, The Old Man was pleased, The Hangman was stunned. "Came to the US… Joined Bridesmaid… and disappears."

Pin Drop.

"I… got access… to some fiche… and other files… the rest… is historical research." He blushed.

"Ok. You've got the job." Betty said impressed by what she'd just witnessed. Her steely gaze focused on Sharon. "Can he fight?"

"Huh? Job? What Jmmmph!" Sharon's hand lovingly clamped over his mouth as she said. "Yes. I've been teaching him…" her eyes slid to a grinning Bruce. "Adding to what he's _already_ learned…"

"Congratulations Son. You've Been Drafted." Bruce grinned back. "I taught him… a little Systema… well… everything The Colonel taught me… we did a mission. Collected some 51 crap out of the jungles of Vietnam… and some other things. Tell ya later."

Ron grinned. "Now you know how I feel…whack! OW! KIM!" he grunted. "Love You." She sweetly said. He pinched her. She fumed back… a bit.

"Ned. I need someone that can get what we _need_ in terms of hard data. Someone gray…" Diamond glare. "You're it. You'll answer to Sharon here… and may have to go into the field. Don't worry about work… I'll have Agent Du handle that… we'll sneak you onto the payroll… later."

"But…" her hand crept into the hair at the nape of his neck… 'Hate it when she does that… sometimes' "Ok…"

"Hangman… stay focused. I need Steve Barkin… The man Stalker loves… The Cold War's over… get with it or sit at base. Capise?"

"Got It."

"Good. As of this moment… we'll presume Bridesmaid's got her…" a frown grew. "We may have to deal with _those_ consequences later… Ned, Ron I need you two to work together… find something… you'll know what it is… before we will." She looked at Sharon. "You're _barred_ from field duty. Understand?"

"Yes Mom." Ron and Kim grinned.

"We'll have to use 'irregular channels'… Kim's frequency. Ops like Bridesmaid pride themselves on penetrating units like mine. _That's_ why we're compromised." Betty grinned. Everyone shivered.

Betty turned her gaze to The Old Man. "I… am happy for whatever assistance you give us… he's up to something heinous… Stalker's the key… Let's hope we can stop them in time."

"Allah will Prevail. We shall help you protect His Flower." He intoned.

"Anyone got some malt?" Bruce asked. "We do." Sharon said as she guided him to their bar's hidden store… as Ned looked on. 'What's just happened? Dad's back… I'm working for GJ… Ron's my partner…?' he thought as his Bride winked at him and mouthed 'Love Ya. It'll be ok.' He smiled at Her.

-

She stood in a cave… took her bearings… and ran.

Her prey stood before her…

Scalpels flashed in the gloom… prey bled their last.

She flickered through the enemy's cordon… made her way to a chamber… Surrounded by Swiss mercenaries…

Slipped through…

And slit a man's throat.

"Clap. Clap. Clap." She heard from behind her. Stalker turned and threw a scalpel into her critic's eye. A grunt of pain was heard.

She fled.

Down into the catacombs she went…

"BAM!" she was knocked senseless. "Still. You Resist." The Colonel said as he swam into her fading vision. Right eye healing rapidly before her.

Fade to Black.

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

Stalker III

By mkusenagi2

The story concept © 5-11-2006  
Kim Possible and other Disney characters  
are © Disney Co.  
Archie Goodwin's Stalker character  
concept isn't mine either.

She stood… limned in darkness.

Men flooded the room…

Minutes later…

Abattoir.

-

The Colonel smiled as his techs scurried about his lair's bridge confirming their findings.

"Have her taken to her rooms." His iron gaze flashed over all as his eyes… glowed?

A small man by the name of Jones ran to him. "Sir… there's some noise in her limbic systems… from what we're not sure…" the other techs smiled as The Colonel fixed his gaze on him. "I'd like to wait…"

"thump." blood splattered the techs as Jones head rolled. "Clean this up."

They did.

Not one failed to notice two things.

The wedge shaped blade that severed Jones life with a hellish glow…

And…

The Colonel was pristine.

Lackeys scurried about as Stalker was escorted out as they made to leave the lair.

A cipher of destruction.

-

Ron and Ned sat in Ned's study knocking about…

If you could call it that…

"Dude! We've gotta do somethin'!" Ron cried as Ned surfed several spook chatrooms with his deck.

Ned rolled his eyes as Ron stretched in his seat. "We've gotta do this the right way…" he snapped.

"Dude! No harshin'." He leaned back in the 'command chair' and yawned. "Nice seats. Where'd ya get 'em?"

"Bobb Report." Ned absentmindedly took a copy and threw it at Ron, who caught the shuriken of paper. "The guy that owned 'em wanted to trade… tax loss… got him some data and here we go. Sharon likes 'em… not as much as my massages…"

"TMI dude." Ron flipped through the magazine. A light gleamed. "Hey Ned, try their website."

"Why?"

"Hunch." Ron smiled. "How would you get your hands on stuff if you didn't want to be found?"

Ned smiled.

They set to work.

-

Chez Brown's kitchen…

Sharon and Bruce watched as they sipped Mexican coffee with a splash of mescal and rum…

Kim rummaged in the fridge…

Hassan meditated while sipping tea.

Steve fiddled with a dream as Betty watched. "Babies cry for it… Folks fight and die for it…"

"Huh?" he mumbled.

A hand reached out and squeezed. "Love and Recognition."

He blushed. "She's something else." He ruefully grinned. "A rule breaker."

"I know."

"She and Possible are alike…" he grinned at some memory. "Separated at birth. That was our joke in the lounge."

Betty grinned. "Steve." He looked at her. "We'll get her back. I promise."

Her eye…

"She just crashed into my life… bold as brass. She's the one." He wallowed about…

"You're lucky. Mine…" a tear formed. "Let's just say he… tried to make sure an eye's all I'd ever lose… when he died…" she looked at the table.

There they stood, warriors…

Standing in the holiest of places…

Their souls.

A kiss on his cheek. "Anything's Possible for you too, Mr Barkin." Kim said as she set a plate of Dagwoods before them. "Gotta eat."

"Thanks Possible."

She looked at him. "Kim."

"Kim."

Betty looked at Steve.

"He'll pay. Either way. He'll pay." She grinned as she pointed at her patch.

-

'_So much pain. We _must _be ready_.' The Old Man thought as he watched. '_Allah give us strength_.'

-

Sharon gazed at her father-in-law. "Sooo… what's it like?" he grinned at her. "the dead thing?"

"Liberating. You're… everywhere… if you pass." She shuddered. "Don't worry. You're on the right path… _now_. _Trust me_… you don't want to know about the other side… there's still hope…" he centered as he looked at her. "Uh…"

"Sharon."

"I'm… I've done a lot of bad things… Ned's _the_ best and only thing I didn't screw up on… You're proof of that…"

She blushed.

"It's nice to get a second chance…" he looked around, "to be here… stuff like that…" 'She's alright. Ned stepped up and got someone out of _my_ league… nice to see he _listened_…'

"Why?" she asked as they watched everyone.

"Why what?"

"Why were you…? I mean you killed a lot of folks. Ned told me that you were the best… and I can tell…"

He ran a hand through his hair… "It's like this… when you're out there…" he stared into the past. "It's you and some guy… another time you'd be friends… share a drink… or whatever. I just felt sorry for the crazy SOB's that got caught up in some political crap same as I did… and tried to make it quick…"

"Oh."

"I don't like to see folks suffer… Sharon… I'm sorry for _all_ of 'em… Y'know in ancient Persia they'd kill someone for lyin' faster than they would for murder… one quickly leads to the other…" he stood before her… vulnerable… alone… "Just do your best. Ned was right about you… he's screwy… but his gut's good." He grinned. "What is it?"

"huh?"

"Boy or girl?"

"We decided to wait… we wanted to be surprised."

"Oh don't worry. They'll always do that."

-

A wave of apprehension flashed through The Colonel…

"Hurry. We must move to our new base."

-

Ron and Ned burst into the kitchen…

"We've got a lead." They cried.

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

Stalker III

By mkusenagi2

The story concept © 5-11-2006  
Kim Possible and other Disney characters  
are © Disney Co.  
Archie Goodwin's Stalker character  
concept isn't mine either.

"A lead?" Betty asked as they crowded Ned and Ron in his study. 'State of the Art!' she thought as they looked at the mini-Cray, holographic display and keyboard. Her heart surged when she thought about… she pushed it away.

"Yeah." Ron said with a grin, "An outfit's been buying weapons from different terrorist groups, under the guise of helping them find a better way…"

"Wait I heard something about them… somewhere…" Kim said as she sat in a chair.

"Custodes Dei… God's Watchmen. We've been checking them out since some of the 'weapons they dumped in the sea' began turning up in 'odd' places." Betty said.

"That's it!" Kim cried. "they went after some Columbian smugglers too." She frowned. "Didn't the Pope give them a charter or something?"

"He said they are Defenders of The Faith," The Old Man said.

"Wouldn't be the first time a screw up like that was made." Bruce said. "What're they up to Ned?" 'I like,' he thought as he looked around the room, taking in the blend of Spartan simplicity and the occasional splash of Japanese style. 'Ned's done well…!' his eyes set on a section of wall…

A collage hung there…

The header was My Heroes…

Pictures of Sharon decorated the top half…

But the lower half…

It held pictures of _him_, from when he was a teen to when he'd received his Master Chief's rank. All the photos revolved around his Chief's insignia. A sign said…

My Dad, The Best, Ever.

There was a lip print in black lipstick next to it… 'and how!' was written in flowing cursive script.

A hand gently squeezed his.

He looked into pools of joy, sad regret, and love. Sharon.

Someone bumped him on the right.

It was Kim. She winked.

He looked out the corner of an eye. Betty pointedly was all business.

Hassan sternly watched from the corner of an eye… a smile flickered.

"They just popped up out of nowhere," Ron said as data flowed across Ned's screen, "They're hooked up with anyone that's got a serious transportation network."

Betty's eye narrowed. The Hangman clenched his jaw as he shared a glance with her. "They've got a spokesperson…" He said as Ned's fingers flew over the keys; a face popped up.

Eurasian. Brick red skin. Cats eyes, green with amber highlights. A figure to rival Shego's.

"Armen Da'vid." Ron said. "Former freedom fighter for the PLO… Allied with the Mossad's anti-drug taskforce…"

"Infamous for using nonviolent methods for settling disputes…" Kim said with a smile.

"UN darling." Betty.

"Former Assassin. 'Nothing proved'. Too embarrassing." The Hangman.

"Centerfold. Playgirl. 'grin' (SLAP!) OW!!" Ned grimaced. Sharon smirked.

"Ecologist. Fulbright. 'a woman of the people'." The Old Man said with scorn. "_His daughter!_"

"What?" they said as they turned and stared.

"The one we fight… is devious. Since that Day he has sought to feed by appearing as a savior to all. Death is his only objective." The Old Man intoned. "She is The Colonel's daughter."

Bruce on a hunch, leaned over Ned's shoulder and watched. "Check her movement Ned." he murmured as the others compared notes.

"Jesus." Steve said.

"You said it, Sir" Ron replied. "She's got powers?"

"Yes."

Ned sifted through the data as his Dad looked over his shoulder…

He looked at his Dad.

The Old Man sadly looked at them. "I pray you are strong enough." He said.

"For what?" Kim asked as they were…

Swept away…

-

October 12, 610 Medina

The skies warped and lit with fire as three Titans waged War in the Heavens.

Hu (God).

Abaddon.

Typhon-Trophos, Son of Abbadon.

Mohammed and the peoples of Asia Minor watched as the battle raged.

It seemed to go on for Eternities…

Finally, when a fatal blow may be Struck by God and Typhon against the Dark One…

Typhon held back.

A soul locked in Prayer fearlessly rendered aid.

One we know as Hassan. Focused in devotion to Hu only… and picked to succeed Typhon.

Hu smote The Beast with Hassan as his Sword.

Typhon was cast out… Blessed to Live, Cursed to Wander 'til he Redeemed himself.

Hassan was Blessed to walk with Mohammed as his Brother. Keeper of Hu's Flower.

The World And ALL Those In It.

-

They followed Typhon as he traveled through the years…

Siring children when he'd found a vessel strong enough…

Cursing those that slew his offspring…

Waging his war from both sides of the Veil.

Until he was bonded to one of like will.

And sired another of like heart.

-

They sat in shock… except for Bruce and The Old Man. They shared a knowing look. Hassan nodded.

The others were chilled to the core.

"Uh Dad?" Ned managed to croak out.

"Right." Bruce smiled. He looked at the others as he passed a printout to Betty, "Got a mission. Gonna visit my 'home away from home'."

"And what are _we_ supposed to do?" Kim asked. "Bonnie's out there somewhere! God only knows what's happ…"

"There's been a change in plans." Betty coolly said, catching their attention. To Kim… "You're going to Texas with Ron." She looked at Steve and Sharon, "Shego, Ned, Hassan, and The Hangman are going to Vatican City to see a friend of hers." Sharon blushed. Betty frowned. She looked at Bruce. "We're going to Bruce's old stomping grounds."

"Uh Oh." Ron said.

"The Shan Plateau." Bruce said.

"It's getting dark…" Ned said. "Who's hungry or wants to bunk?"

-

After a sumptuous meal… Betty drifted out back cradling a small snifter of Tullamore. She checked her link. Her troops reported the neighborhood was quiet.

She wandered about the garden… Fingers trained in several killing and healing arts traced over roses. She sat on the bench and sighed.

"May I?" she jumped! "Sorry. Old habit." Bruce said.

"Sure." She gave him room. "bastard."

'Slide. Thump.' he tossed croutons at the koi, "You're absolutely right."

"Does Ned…?" she asked. Croutons were pressed into her hand. She skimmed them on the pond.

"No. Sharon does I think. Women know…" He glanced at her. "I'm sorry. When I foun…"

"Save it." Tears leaked from her ravaged eye.

He sighed. A familiar weight leaned on him. He turned, gently caressed her cheek…

And kissed her. "you left… because you thought it'd make me weak…" she whispered.

"Yeah." he breathed. "'sides… I was too old." He slipped something in her hair…

"Idiot. _You_ mattered… not your age." She nuzzled him. "You aren't now." She said before she dove in.

-

'Enjoy your blessing my friend.' Hassan thought before he turned in.

-

"You owe me… something." Ned said with a grin to his bride.

"It's a draw." She said with a wink. "Now come to bed." She purred.

'God! Can she get any sexier?' he thought as his eyes worshiped her.

-

"C'mon." Betty said as they stealthily slipped into Bruce's room.

TBC


End file.
